Why does Cone of Flame deal 3 instances of damage?
Asked by Yesterday 4 years ago
So this came up just recently in another thread that I didn't want to derail. Dual Shot deals one instance of damage to either one creature or two different creatures. Fireball deals one instance of damage regardless of the number of targets. Cone of Flame deals three instances of damage to three different creatures, despite the fact that the text explaining the effects of the card aren't separated across different sentences or by the word 'then'.
I understand this, and when it came up it made logical sense to me, but I found that I couldn't explain it to my imaginary friend in actual words. Is there a specific ruling somebody could share with me that explains it? Is it just also the case that things happen in sequencial order when separated with commas?
Rhadamanthus says... #2
The explanation I've seen most often in official judge resources is that you can tell by the number of times the word "damage" is used in the rules text. Each separate use of the word indicates a separate instance/event of damage. I tried to look up a single rule that gives a completely satisfactory reference but didn't have much luck. The combination of rules quoted above is probably the closest thing.
Gidgetimer says... Accepted answer #1
I am including CR 700.1 below as proof that a spell can cause multiple events. I don't think that you specifically would doubt this, but it heads off the question. Yes, it is basically that each clause is a different game event in this case. CR 608.2c tells you to follow the instructions in written order. This means that during the resolution of Cone of Flame you deal 1 damage as a game event, then you deal 2 damage as a separate game event, then you deal 3 damage as a third gave event. With Fireball you deal X damage divided evenly as a single game event.
608.2c The controller of the spell or ability follows its instructions in the order written. However, replacement effects may modify these actions. In some cases, later text on the card may modify the meaning of earlier text (for example, “Destroy target creature. It can’t be regenerated” or “Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it on top of its owner’s library instead of into its owner’s graveyard.”) Don’t just apply effects step by step without thinking in these cases—read the whole text and apply the rules of English to the text.
700.1. Anything that happens in a game is an event. Multiple events may take place during the resolution of a spell or ability. The text of triggered abilities and replacement effects defines the event they’re looking for. One “happening” may be treated as a single event by one ability and as multiple events by another.
September 6, 2019 8:37 a.m.